Seek the LORD

“Seek the Lord while he may be found;

    call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake his way,

    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,

    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:6-7 (ESV)

          What happens when depravity meets holiness? When sin meets righteousness? A true encounter with a holy God results in humility and forgiveness. A witness arises and a testimony is proclaimed. But will anyone hear the divine message, seek the Lord, and turn from their wicked ways?

          No one assumed Zacchaeus would gravitate toward anything good. People hated him because of his occupation as chief tax collector for the Roman Empire. He accumulated wealth for himself and the kingdom of Rome by amassing excess taxes from his fellow Jews. They considered him a traitor. Because he didn’t follow the law, the religious leaders called him a sinner. Ostracized by society, Zacchaeus was lost and lonely. 

          But he had heard the news. A man named Jesus had healed a blind man just outside Jericho, the city where Zacchaeus dwelt. Curiosity had gotten the best of him and he began searching for Jesus. He happened upon a huge crowd, but his short stature kept him from seeing Jesus. Spotting a sycamore tree ahead, he ran to it and climbed up. 

          All of a sudden, he heard someone call him by name. “Zacchaeus,” Jesus said. “Hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”

          Zacchaeus obeyed, quickly shimmying down the tree with great joy. Though people grumbled about this Jesus going to spend time with that sinner, Zacchaeus repented of his deeds before the Lord and offered to restore monies fourfold to anyone he had defrauded. And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” 

          Salvation through Messiah Jesus. Is it possible the divine message of a compassionate Savior foretold by God’s prophets had reached Zacchaeus’ ears? Throughout generations God had spoken though the prophets, telling of judgments as well as salvation. One of these prophets was Isaiah whose name means ‘the Lord saves.’

          Isaiah was a well-educated aristocrat with access to kings. During the reign of Judah’s King Uzziah, Isaiah had a vision of the holy God sitting high upon a throne with the train of His robe filling the temple. Overwhelmed and humbled by God’s holiness, he recognized his own sin and the sins of the people around him. He sensed God beckoning him to go to the Israelites and their leaders to implore their repentance. Their hypocrisy was on display as they had confessed the Lord as King with rebellious, greedy, and self-indulgence hearts. Even though Isaiah knew he would face bitter opposition and ridicule from them, he agreed to serve the Lord.

          So this prophet Isaiah began to foretell the fate of the hypocritical Israelites. Eventually the storm clouds of destruction came upon them in the form of Assyrian and later Babylonian expansion. Even though he had prophesied judgment, Isaiah also spoke encouragement to the survivors by promising God’s deliverance through a new and everlasting covenant with a coming Savior who would reconcile God and man. He proclaimed the loving compassion of the Lord and entreated the people to seek Him and receive pardon. Would anyone hear the message and turn from their sinful ways?

          Did Zacchaeus remember Isaiah the prophet and his message of returning to the Lord? Had his dishonest business dealings and their consequences caused him to search for salvation. Surely God’s Spirit had prepared his heart for repentance and redemption the day he met the Savior. Meeting Jesus and receiving forgiveness changed his life forever. 

          Are you wandering in the wickedness of society today? Do you feel lost and alone? Would you like to meet Jesus as Zacchaeus did? 

          Open God’s Word and read from the book of Isaiah. Learn also of Timothy who says God desires all people to be saved and to know the truth that Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:3-5). 

        Seek the Lord. Call upon Him. Turn from sin and humbly return to the One who can save you. He is compassionate and will abundantly pardon you. This is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Yeast of Corruption

““I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”
~JESUS 

John 6:35 (NASB)”

          Boil. Foam. Bubble. Words that fashion in my mind’s eye a cauldron of evil. On second thought, I see a substance activated by water and flour. Combined with a few more ingredients, the dough doubles in size after several hours. Once baked, it yields a delicious staple. Fresh baked bread gives way to a mouthwatering experience, aromatic and appetizing.

          Jesus and bread seemed to go hand in hand throughout His time on earth. The New Testament testifies to the many times He talked about bread. He miraculously provided bread for hungry crowds. He called Himself the Bread of Life. Surprisingly He even discussed the active ingredient in bread. However, when he mentioned yeast, it had nothing to do with bread. God’s Word in the eighth chapter of Mark conveys some crucial eye-opening knowledge applicable for readers still today. 

          The chapter opens with a mighty miracle where Jesus fed a large hungry crowd after praying over several loaves of bread and a few fish. It’s a second account of Him miraculously feeding a colossal crowd from a meager source. The throng of people certainly enjoyed plenty of food as there were baskets overflowing with leftovers. Imagine witnessing such a phenomena. Think about how swiftly the news must have spread among the people. 

          Eventually reports of the supernatural event reached some Jewish leaders called Pharisees. Once they discovered Jesus’ location, they began questioning and testing Him. They demanded proof of His divine authority by requesting signs from heaven. They dismissed the power behind His miracles by challenging Jesus for more evidence. Because He recognized their unbelief, Jesus refused to grant them any information concerning His identity. He walked away from them and joined His disciples in a boat.

          As they sailed across the Sea of Galilee, Jesus warned His disciples of the yeast of the Pharisees. Yeast? The disciples assumed Jesus referred to the lack of bread for their trip as only one loaf had been stored in the boat. Could there be more to yeast than a loaf of bread?

          “Why are you talking about bread?” Jesus asked. “Do you not understand? Do your eyes fail to see and your ears fail to hear? Remember the two miracles? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”

          The disciples answered respectively, twelve and seven, but Jesus knew they failed to comprehend the meaning. They only grasped the concept of yeast in the physical sense. They were spiritually blind to the evil brew of the Pharisees and other leaders (Mark 8:14-21).

          The disciples recognized yeast as a fermenting agent used to make bread. Jesus equated yeast to an attitude of corruption. Think of the cauldron of evil—boil and bubble. The Pharisees had perverted their religion by making it exclusive to law keepers. As Jewish leaders, they had harnessed the people with many impossible rules to obey. By veiling the authenticity of Scripture, the religious elite had blinded the common folk to God’s truth. 

          Public opinion began changing when Jesus showed up, ministering to the masses and upsetting the methodical religion of the Jewish leaders. The crowds following Jesus increased and His divine authority exposed religious hypocrisy. The sanctimonious Pharisees seethed with anger and envy as their impact seemed to dwindle. Powerful leaders despise the freedom gained by people whose eyes have been opened to truth.

          Religion has burdened mankind with man-made rules for centuries. The law exposes sin and sometimes those in control dictate observance to laws through works, negating the work of Jesus on the cross. When the doctrines of denominations supersede faith in a self-sacrificing Savior, we become divided. Adding man’s way to God’s way is like adding water to yeast and watching the cauldron of corruption boil over into trouble. Eventually our fallen nature clouds our vision. Recognizing truth becomes nearly impossible.

“When the doctrines of denominations supersede faith in a self-sacrificing Savior, we become divided.”

          During the 60’s and 70’s, some American pastors preached fire and brimstone, the wrath of God against sinful souls. People left church services feeling shame and defeat. Surely good works would pave the way to heaven instead of hell. Eyes became veiled to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

          As a new generation grew into influence, various church services, along with the sermons, were redesigned to focus on grace, the cheap grace that minimizes sin. Comfortable with coffee described a regular Sunday at church. Again eyes became veiled to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

          Jesus the Messiah came to earth to demonstrate a holy life to His disciples and followers. Through His Word, He shows us all a better way of life, offering grace and mercy to repentant people. The truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ is for every single person who will believe in Him. He died an excruciating death, taking upon Himself the sins of the world while offering His righteousness to humankind. It’s a beautiful exchange that requires humble recognition and repentance of our own sinfulness. It is the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

          Jesus the Savior is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). He wants us to know His gospel and its liberating truth. He yearns to deliver us from the yeast of corruption that infiltrates the church and the world. He longs to rescue us from wickedness and free us from sin’s bondage. He desires for us to focus on Him, living as He lived, loving as He loved. 

          But what are we to do when we don’t know what is true? It seems the yeast of the Pharisees has spread throughout the ages. The cauldron of evil appears to have boiled over into our modern world. Have we been blinded to truth? Is it even possible to see clearly through the haze of confusion? How can we use discernment and make truth visible?

          Turn away from the yeast of corruption. Change your focus from man’s way to God’s way. And return next week to see more of God’s truth revealed. 

Before you go, share with me in the comment section below some of the ways God is revealing His truth to you.